


You and Me and Him And...

by Opalgirl



Category: Provost's Dog - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Multi, Open Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-06
Updated: 2010-11-06
Packaged: 2017-10-15 08:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opalgirl/pseuds/Opalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clary has some interesting news for Mattes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You and Me and Him And...

“I never thought _you’d_ take a desk job,” I said, as the serving girl brought us more ale.

Clary looked at me, her face saying just for a moment that she thought I was cracked. “Never thought you’d take up with a noblewoman,” she replied, reaching for her tankard.

“Fair. What started this? You get tired of breaking heads?”

Clary shook her head and grinned, showing off her teeth. “No.” She pushed food around on her plate before she said, her voice sober, “I’m getting old.”

I blinked at her. “You’re nowhere near as old as Jewel and he’s still on the street.”

She snorted. “They’ll cart Jewel’s backside off Watch when he’s dead and not before. Soon enough, I’d be a walking target on patrol, and we thought it better.”

“ _We?_ ”

Clary glared at me. “Sarden barbarian. Swallow, _then_ talk.” To enforce it, she kicked me underneath the table. “My lady’s taught you no manners, I see.”

I swallowed and reached for my tankard, taking a pull from it before I asked, “who’s we?”

“Me and Tom.”

Never in her life has Clary Goodwin deferred to her husband for anything. Not since I’ve known her, at least.

“What’s Tom got to do with you taking Ahuda’s job?”

My partner rolled her eyes. “It’d be his little lad or gixie I’m carrying around, wouldn’t it?” she asked, clearly at the end of her patience.

“Clary, _you’re_ —”

“Shut your gob, Mattes. The whole district doesn’t need to know.” She lowered her voice, so she could scarcely be heard over the noise of the taproom. “It’s early yet, besides.”

“Are you sure…when?”

Clary kicked me square in the shin once more, recognizing what I’d almost said. “Whilst Cooper was in Caynn and you were laid up with two busted legs, when I came back. D’you think me stupid enough to claim your child as Tom’s? I’d fool no one. Not that he’d care, mind—he’d be too busy spoiling the babe rotten to notice. The time’s right and that was the only time in months I’d gone without that sarden charm.”

I raised my eyebrows at her. “You lost it?”

“Must’ve, either in the gambling dens or on the boat trip back. Don’t look at me like that—I replaced it soon as I noticed, but it was too late. Wouldn’t want a little sarden barbarian anyway—you’ll do enough as it is. When we go back out,” she continued, “don’t fuss over me. I’m pregnant, not helpless.”

Unable to resist it, I said, “you might be when you start to waddle.”

She flung a roll at my head, just as I’d expected. “I won’t waddle,” she hissed, glaring at me for all the world as if I were a Rat whose head she wanted to break, “and I’ll be off street duty before then. Tom’d always wanted a little one, but it was never safe or the money wasn’t right or something. Job came up when it did, saving my hide.”

Clary would turn in her baton before she took up the work of a cage Dog, which a lot of mot Dogs do once they have children. “You’ll get to terrorize the Puppies well enough.” I paused. “Clary….”

She pushed her plate away and then said, “Before you ask, yes, you’re still welcome, as long as my lady will have it.”

I shrugged. “Sabine doesn’t mind. Does Tom?”

Clary shook her head. “He doesn’t—you know that.”

“Even with a baby…?”

“He says it shouldn’t change anything and I don’t see why it should.”

She has a point.

“Besides.” She grinned at me, crookedly. “We need someone to play nursemaid.”

 


End file.
